As the Director of Cybersecurity and Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for the North American Region at Volkswagen Group of America, I lead the strategic direction and continuous enhancement of the company’s cybersecurity posture across a complex, multi-national enterprise. With over 25 years of experience in IT leadership, information security, IT infrastructure, digital transformation, IoT, manufacturing technology, and business process optimization, I bring a comprehensive understanding of the ever-evolving technology landscape.My experience spans both the USA and Germany, with additional expertise in managing international projects across diverse markets. I hold a BS and MS in Information Technology and have completed executive-level training in the Management of Information Technology.In my role, I am responsible for building and maintaining a robust cybersecurity framework that not only defends against emerging cyber threats but also enables business innovation and growth. I oversee the protection of the company’s assets, data, and critical infrastructure across North America (USA, Canada, and Mexico), ensuring compliance with both local and global regulations.By working closely with executive leadership and cross-functional teams, I align cybersecurity initiatives with strategic business objectives, leveraging cutting-edge technologies, threat intelligence, and industry best practices to safeguard our customers, partners, and employees.Key Areas of Responsibility:• Leadership & Team Management: Leading a diverse cybersecurity team across the North American Region, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement.• Executive Collaboration: Coordinating closely with senior leadership to ensure cybersecurity aligns with business goals and regulatory requirements.• Cybersecurity Strategy & Oversight: Setting the vision, direction, and priorities for cybersecurity across the region.• Risk Management & Incident Response: Identifying potential threats, managing cybersecurity risks, and driving incident response and recovery efforts.• Threat Intelligence & Security Operations: Utilizing advanced threat intelligence and managing a high-performance Security Operations Center (SOC) to detect, prevent, and mitigate threats.• Cybersecurity Infrastructure: Overseeing the implementation and optimization of secure IT infrastructure and technologies across the organization.